A Miserable Departure

"We are ever so grateful for your understanding and acceptance in this sudden situation," Duke Cedric, Nicholas, and Anthony slightly bowed their heads in thanks to Duke Clovis and his sons.

Frederick and his brothers, including Duke Clovis and their uncle instantly kneeled on one knee.

It was a customary gesture in the kingdom to kneel on one knee when someone of higher rank bows their head.

A duke, however, and the Grand Commander of the Kingdom's Knight Order who served directly under the King of Zhastraia did not need to kneel. They merely needed to bow their heads lower than Duke Cedric did.

In this instance, however, Frederick and his family were not kneeling just because of the custom.

It was because they respected Duke Cedric so much that they could not take him bowing to them.

That was the first time that Duke Cedric, Nicholas, and Anthony ever bowed their head to people from a lower duchy. It showed just how sincere and grateful they were.

"We are deeply honored," the Varondel ducal family responded together.

Frederick's father would have been so happy and profusely thanking Duke Cedric for the engagement of their children if not for the situation and the reason that it happened.

"The honor is mine. Please rise, Duke Clovis, Sir Elbrus. We have been friends for such a long time. You do not have to do this," Duke Cedric tried to stop the two from kneeling but they did anyway. He had to urge them to stand up immediately.

Frederick and his brothers only rose when the elders finally stood up.

"Then I shall take my leave now and inform His Majesty that the edict had been accepted," Elbrus was ready to head back to the palace.

"Please wait. It pains me that you will also have to inform His Majesty of me and my sons' passing," Duke Cedric stopped Elbrus from leaving. Everyone froze at his statement.

"What are you talking about Duke Cedric?!" Elbrus and Duke Clovis said at the same time.

Frederick and his brothers froze and were wide-eyed as they noticed the resigned look on Nicholas and Anthony's faces.

"I and my sons were also poisoned," Duke Cedric revealed.

"We have already sent back our most trusted retainers, but it scares me that my beloved daughters in Evymeria might also suffer the same fate or already did." Everyone was shaken at Duke Cedric's revelation.

"T-that cannot be?!" Duke Clovis eyed Duke Cedric and his sons closely and noticed that three had gotten even paler and their lips were turning into a shade of purple.

"This is truly miserable. Even Her Majesty had suspected that might happen so she had her most trusted servant depart for Evymeria at the same time I headed here. But to think that even you three who are participating in the war were poisoned," Elbrus lamented. He looked like he wanted to eliminate whoever did the poisoning.

Duke Cedric exposed that it was from the food and wine that the three just ate for dinner. The cooks who had prepared the food committed suicide and no antidote was found on them.

They had tried healing magic and potions from Evymeria but it did not work. Healing from Duke Cedric's nieces did not work as well.

"We were immune to most poisons but this one is too strong. It must be ancient," Duke Cedric supposed.

Evymeria had a special potion that only the ducal family could make.

It was a potion made from securely kept secret ingredients and processes that had been passed down from generation to generation of the Evymeria ducal family. It could be used as an antidote and cure-all for most poisons but it did not work either.

"It was like a poison especially made for us. How ironic and utterly insulting that our family; we who specialized in detoxifying poison, would die from poisoning itself." Nicholas smiled miserably.

"It seems we were rather incompetent, brother. The most incompetent generation perhaps. How are we even going to show our face to our ancestors?" Anthony chuckled mirthlessly.

"Please allow me to try if there's something I can do," Frederick quickly volunteered.

After all, he was the best magician and the only Archmage in the kingdom. Perhaps there was something he could do while they were still alive and breathing and even have the energy to laugh and insult their own selves.

"Sure. We were just about to send someone to call for you when you all came with the Grand Commander," Anthony volunteered to be the guinea pig.

Frederick was his best friend after all. They trusted each other.

Regrettably, even Frederick could not detoxify the poison.

He recognized it as a poison from another kingdom. He had thought it was extinct by now since it was hard to make.

No one had ever used it for so long and no one was ever rumored to have been poisoned by it.

Or perhaps, since it was an ancient poison, no one knew about it and none of the victims lived to tell the tale. It was several centuries ago when it was last mentioned in books.

Frederick knew the ingredients for the antidote but all of it was too rare and only found in other kingdoms so even he, did not have the antidote despite knowing about the existence of such a poison.

"Please forgive me. Even I cannot detoxify it. All I can do is delay the immediate effects and prolong your life for a few hours," Frederick regrettably admitted.

He felt so pathetic. Incompetent. So useless.

His best friend was there; dying along with his family but he could not help at all despite being renowned as the best magician in the country.

'Just a few hours more and these people who had been so good to me, my brothers, my parents, and to Varondel as a whole; these kind and warm people would be gone.'

He and his family could not even repay them for their generosity.

"Do not blame yourself, Frederick. This is not your fault," Duke Cedric patted him.

"Power and prosperity come with consequences. Our enemies had caught us in their trap, that's all. It was our fault for laying our guard down. We had been too lax due to the recent peace, but we should have remained on high alert knowing our position.

"Rather we are all grateful to you. A few hours is more than enough. We shall go all out and finish this war quickly even if it is the last thing we do," Duke Cedric kindly smiled at him.

He felt even worse that the dying duke even comforted him. But Frederick understood what the Duke of Evymeria meant.

They would rather die honorably in battle than wait for their death from the poison. With their permission, he then delayed the effects of the poison.

A magic circle appeared on the ground where Duke Cedric, Nicholas, and Anthony had been standing.

It glowed and green light enveloped the three for several seconds before it vanished.

"As expected of the only Archmage in the country," Nicholas praised when Frederick did it without chanting.

"Of course, he is the best magician after all," Anthony teased.

"You have a truly excellent son Duke Clovis," Duke Cedric grinned at the latter.

"I am honored. I would have been the proudest father if we are not in this situation. I am relieved that he was of any help to you," Duke Clovis smiled bitterly.

"Indeed. Frederick, thank you for giving us a chance to preserve our honor and choose our own means of death," Nicholas patted Frederick on the back.

"Thank you for this Frederick," Anthony lightly hit Frederick's chest with his fists.

The complexion of the three had visibly improved and they no longer looked like they were straining themselves. But the more they thanked him, the worst Frederick felt.

'Perhaps I could save the remaining ones in Evymeria if they were still alive?'

"But more importantly, I have a favor to ask of you. You can teleport back to Evymeria castle this instant, right?" Anthony held Frederick's shoulder tightly. His face was just a few inches from his as he gazed at Frederick's eyes sharply.

"Y-you can?!" Nicholas gasped and also asked earnestly.

"Y-yes. But how did you know?" Frederick was puzzled.

It was a family secret that only the Varondel ducal family knew. He glanced at his family members, wordlessly asking if they had told the Evymeria ducal family but the four also looked surprised that Anthony knew.

"We have been together since we were kids and we traveled together all the time. You think I did not notice how impatient you get with carriages, boats, and ships.

"Even flying on magic beasts seemed like a waste of time to you so I realized that you must have a quicker way to travel. You also go back home ahead of your servants," Anthony pointed out.

"I see. Did you tell anyone else about this?" Frederick was impressed that Anthony noticed despite how hard he tried to hide it.

"My lips are sealed and the three of us would carry it to our graves," Anthony looked back at his father and brother and the two nodded.

"If that is the case, then it might not be too late for my daughters yet," Duke Cedric said with a new hopeful look in his eyes.

"That's right! You can save my sisters!" Nicholas beamed. He also had a gleam of hope on his face compared to his former disheartened look.

"Frederick, please save my sisters. I will forever be indebted and grateful even in the afterlife," Anthony pleaded.

"You do not have to plead me like that. We are friends, are we not? I know what's most important to you. I was intending to go to Evymeria after I blast some of those annoying things surrounding the encampment."

Frederick wanted to be useful no matter what.

It was his last chance to give back to his friend and the Evymeria ducal family that they were indebted to. And if he could save any member of the Evymeria ducal family, he would feel a bit less incompetent and useless than he was feeling right now.

"I see. You are my best friend indeed. Take care of Diana for me. With your mana, I think you are most compatible with Diana compared to Lumina and Francesca.

"Diana may be a bit troublesome since we tended to spoil her but she will be a fine lady someday. I am sure you will be head over heels over her," Anthony beamed with pride at the thought of his sister.

"My sisters will be in your care, please treasure them well and keep them safe," Nicholas also asked Raphael and Herbert and the brothers promised.

"I pray that my daughters are safe. I trust I can leave this world assured that my daughters are in capable hands.

"In the worst-case scenario that our family is annihilated, please support the next-in-line among my siblings," Duke Cedric said to Duke Clovis who grimaced at the thought of losing everyone.

"I promise in the name of my honor and the years of our friendship, I will ensure that my sons will be good to your daughters. I shall punish them myself if they do otherwise," Duke Clovis sternly looked at his sons who straightened up at his words.

"I pray that the worst-case scenario will not happen. However, I promise that I will do as you asked and support Evymeria with everything in my power as you had done to Varondel when we were the ones in great need," Duke Clovis promised.

"You are all important to His Majesty, the King. He will be distraught over this. This situation is truly adverse and will cause chaotic repercussions in the whole Kingdom. I assure you that the King had no hand in this. He has not betrayed you nor had he forsaken Evymeria," the Elbrus clarified.

"I know. I believe in Evelyn and Isabella's words. I trust in His Majesty as well. His Majesty always thinks of what is best for the Kingdom before anything else, he would never put the kingdom in disarray like this" Duke Cedric assured.

"I am glad that you understand. His Majesty will never forgive me if I let you go to the Afterworld feeling betrayed by him," Elbrus sighed.

"I wanted to stay and win this war with you as we had won the wars in Varondel decades ago. However, I fear that whoever caused this chaos might be after His Majesty as well.

"I shall return to His Majesty's side post-haste. I believe in your victory and I pray for the safety of your daughters in Evymeria. Thank you for everything until now," Elbrus kneeled and bowed deeply to show his respect and gratitude to Duke Cedric.

"I am deeply saddened by the lost of such a great talent and prodigy," Elbrus said as he hugged Nicholas and Anthony who had both trained under him.

"I am sure you would have been a great Duke even surpassing your father," Elbrus patted Nicholas who was supposed to be the heir of Duke Cedric.

"Anthony, I had always thought I could retire at ease with you as my successor. But it seems I have to train someone again. You would have been a legendary Grand Commander," Elbrus also patted Anthony on the shoulder.

Everyone then bade their goodbyes and prepared to depart for their next destination.

A/N: What would you do when you know that your death is coming soon? Do share your thoughts in the comment section.

New Characters:

Elbrus - Grand Commander of the Kingdom of Zhastraia’s Knights Order.

Queen Isabella - Eldest child and first daughter of Duke Cedric and Duchess Evelyn of Evymeria, Queen of Zhastraia